A Race Against Time
by Hoverbike Girl
Summary: Heroes are icons expected to perform superhuman deeds. They have a duty to their people, and must look beyond themselves, even if their own lives are at stake...
1. Silent Stalker

**_A Race Against Time_**

By _Hoverbike Girl_

Thanks for all the reviews! Thanks to some pointers from Tylec Asroc, I decided to fix this chapter up a bit. Hope you enjoy this revision!

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Chapter #1: Silent Stalker

**10:00 PM**

**Angel Island**

The exotic Angel Island…a great wonder from the world known as Mobius, the same place from which a famous hero and a mad scientist had come. The island was home to the Master Emerald, one of the largest (if not _the _largest) gems known to mankind. But even with this famous jewel sitting within reach of human hands, no one dared to come and claim it and the land, for one reason.

The Master Emerald had a Guardian.

He dozed calmly on a ruin by the Emerald's altar, occasionally cracking open an eye slightly to glance at "his" Emerald and make sure no harm had come to it. Each time he did so he closed his eyes again, mentally slapping himself for worrying way too much. He was just being paranoid; there was nothing to worry about. After all, because of his presence, no humans ventured near the island. Only the people he considered his friends were allowed to set foot on Angel Island, and even then sometimes they weren't welcome.

So why did he feel that something was wrong?

The Guardian just shrugged it off and turned over. His eyelids fluttered and then slowly shut in deep sleep.

A snapping sound startled him awake. But instead of panicking or calling out, he calmly stood up and glanced about for the source of the noise. There was a wind blowing, so it could have been nothing. But when he heard the sound a second time with no wind blowing, he was sure that something…or someone…was out there.

He had to check it out.

The warrior silently climbed down from his resting place and crept into some nearby brush. If somebody was on the island, then he would probably come here for the Emerald. And so the Guardian waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And wait—

Then he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

A shadowy figure crept out of the woods to the altar. He glanced around, looking for anyone hostile. Once sure he was safe, he started for the steps.

A sudden red blur sent him crashing into a stone column. The Guardian grabbed him by the throat and held him up so he could see his face in the glow of the Master Emerald.

He was…

…A blue hedgehog.

"Geez, Knuckles, it's me! Will ya quit choking me?" he gasped.

…Oops.

Knuckles let him fall to the ground and then proceeded to scold his friend/rival. "Sonic, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me or the Master Emerald, especially not at night?"

When the Guardian's back was turned, Sonic pulled out from his shoe a small, grenade-like object. "Hey, Knuckles..."

The echidna turned around and said impatiently, "What!" Then he saw the object, and his eyes widened.

The hero pulled out the pin and tossed the grenade to the ground. "Brace yourself."

"What the…"

BOOM!

The explosion sent the echidna flying into a nearby column. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard his "friend's" voice saying, _"One down, three to go."

* * *

_

**10: 10 PM**

**Downtown Station Square**

"Finally! All of my shopping is done!" said Amy Rose as she and her friends Cream and Cheese walked out of a superstore.

"Thank you for taking us, Amy!" Cream said politely.

"Chao chao!" Cheese agreed.

"Thank _you_ for helping me! I don't think I would've been able to get all these groceries home without you two!" Amy shifted the weight of the bags for more comfort. "I can't wait to get home and try on my new dress! I hope Sonic will like it!" At the thought of her hero she sighed dreamily. Cream giggled and rolled her eyes at her friend's silliness.

They reached the apartment building in no time, and Amy tried on her dress—a skirt much like her traditional red one, but it was cobalt blue. With a happy smile, she posed in front of her mirror.

"Why did you pick this one instead of that pink dress, Amy?" Cream asked her.

The girl replied with a clever grin, "Blue is my favorite color." Cream and Cheese giggled, knowing whom she was referring to.

Wondering what time it was, Amy glanced at her watch. "Oh! It's really late! We'd better get you back home, Cream."

Both of the girls grabbed their jackets and rushed out of the apartment, with Cheese following behind. Once outside on the sidewalk they settled into a jog and chatted about various things as they walked. They were near the train station (Cream's home is in the Mystic Ruins) when suddenly Cream realized something.

"Amy, where is Cheese?"

The hedgehog looked around them. "He was right behind us when I last checked," she said with a worried frown. "Let's go back a bit; he may have gotten sidetracked."

They walked back a ways and called the Chao's name several times. Then Cream caught sight of Cheese rushing into a dark alleyway. "No, Cheese! Come back!" she called out to him. She rushed in after her friend.

"Cream, wait!" Amy yelled to her, but like Cheese, the rabbit didn't listen. She groaned and ran into the dark alley, which turned out to be connected to other alleys. Confused by the maze, she shouted for Cream and Cheese to come back until her voice was hoarse.

Suddenly a piercing scream shattered the silence. Amy gasped and ran deeper into the alley, hoping that nothing terrible had happened to Cream or Cheese. She rounded a corner and…

"_Oof!"_

…Smacked into someone.

Amy jumped to her feet and swung at the person with her hammer. Only when the person shouted, "Whoa, Amy! Hold it!" did she stop. She opened her eyes and gasped at the person in front of her.

"Sonic!" she squealed. She hugged his neck tightly, causing him to come close to suffocation. "What are _you _doing here?"

The hero scratched the back of his neck and answered a bit awkwardly, "Well, uh, I heard Cream screaming, so I took a little detour through here to find her."

"Have you seen her? Is she okay?" said the girl desperately.

"Not yet, but I'll keep lookin'!"

Then a lightbulb came on in Amy's head, and she said with a smile, "Let's look together!"

The hedgehog's smirk vanished and was replaced with a nervous look. "Err…wouldn't it be easier if we split up? You check the alleyway to the right, and I'll look out on the street." He extended one foot backward, ready to escape.

Unfortunately, Amy saw it, and she grabbed his arm. "Don't even _think_ about running off on me!"

"What? I wasn't thinking about that!" His voice gave away the fact that he was fibbing, and Amy glared at him until he said, "All right, all right! I'll help you look for them! But only if we split up!"

Amy folded her arms and sighed. "Fine. Let me know if you find Cream and Cheese." Sonic turned around and ran down another alley, and Amy chose another. She hadn't gone far when she stumbled over something in the dark. She whirled around and gasped.

"Cream!" She bent down and examined her fallen friend. The rabbit didn't seem hurt, but strangely her breathing was deep. "She's asleep?" Then she noticed Cheese dozing in a birdcage that was a little too small for him. "They're both asleep…"

It was then that she saw the tranquilizer dart stuck in the back of Cream's neck.

"What? Somebody drugged them? But who in the world would—_ouch!"_ Something had stung her neck. Amy reached back and felt a dart. Just as she attempted to pull it out, a gloved hand grabbed her arm and another covered her mouth. She struggled to get free and maybe see her attacker, but it was in vain. A sudden drowsiness settled on the girl, and slowly she lost consciousness in her assailant's hold. The last thing she remembered was a voice—a familiar voice.

_"All too easy."

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_

**10:30 PM**

**Tails' Workshop, Mystic Ruins**

Inside the garage of his home, Miles "Tails" Prower was cleaning up his prized plane, the _Tornado_, after he had taken it for a night flight, whistling a tune to himself as he washed the plane. When he was finished, he wiped himself clean of any grease or soap on his hands.

"All done!" he said with satisfaction. Suddenly he yawned. "Man, I'm tired. I'd better close up the shop."

He went all about the workshop, turning lights off and locking all the doors. After that, he sleepily trudged into his bedroom and collapsed on his bed, not even noticing that he hadn't taken off his shoes. He was asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow.

He was awakened half an hour later when he heard something climbing his roof. He opened his bedroom window and called out timidly, "W-who's there?"

A voice called back, "It's just me, Tails." The silhouette of a hedgehog peeked down from the roof.

"Oh. Hey, Sonic."

"Mind if I spend the night up here?"

"No, not at all. Good night." The fox went back into his bed and remembered to tuck himself in this time. He was so fast asleep that he didn't even hear the window opening and footsteps tiptoeing past him down the stairs.

A sudden rush of cold wind woke Tails a second time, and he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. "Funny, the window is open. I thought I closed it." As he was shutting and locking the window, he felt a bit thirsty. He went downstairs into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to search for a drink.

"Couldn't sleep?"

The boy hit his head on the ceiling of the fridge in surprise. "Sonic, you scared me!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry." The hedgehog pushed a glass of juice forward as if in apology. "Here."

"Thanks! How did you know I'd come down here?"

A shrug and "Lucky guess," was the reply.

Tails sat down and drained his juice. As he set the glass down he commented, "It tasted kinda funny."

"The date might be expired," said his friend, and he looked at the juice carton to check his theory.

The boy's eyelids drooped a bit, and he wearily agreed. "Maybe you're right..."

The hedgehog set down the carton and stared at the fox. "Ya look tired, buddy. Need some help up the stairs?"

"No thanks," the fox mumbled, his answer barely understandable.Slowly he stood up from his seat and began to make his way out of the kitchen.

Unfortunately, he didn't notice the red sneaker placed in front of him.

THUD.

Tails tripped over his friend's leg and fell in a heap on the floor, his head slamming hard against the tile. Instantly his vision was clouded with stars and shapes of all colors.The room spun in circles and began to blur as the boy lost consciousness. His last vision was of a blue hedgehog standing over him...and he was grinning.

* * *

The blue hedgehog didn't make any move to help Tails; instead he waited for him to fall asleep. Slowly the fox's eyes closed shut, and his breathing set into a deep pace. The hedgehog kicked him in the side, but he did not stir. Satisfied that Tails was out cold, he closed his eyes, and suddenly his body became liquid metal. An instant later Metal Sonic was formed. He turned his attention back to the dozing fox and, pulling two pairs of handcuffs out of a compartment in his body, secured them around Tails' wrists and ankles. Then he turned on the communicator on his wrist and spoke into it. 

"Doctor, I have captured the fox. That sleeping drug you gave me came in handy."

Then there came a voice on the other end. _"Good! Now we have all we need to go through with my plan."_

"You still have not briefed me on this 'master plan' of yours, Master."

_"All in due time, Metal Sonic, all in due time. But I think it will be right up your alley."_

"I do not fully understand, sir."

_"I think you will like it, is what I mean. It involves our hostages, some good traps, and..."_

"And what, Doctor?"

_"...Why, **Sonic**, of course..."_


	2. The Search Begins

Hi again, everybody! After much thinking and working, I have changed some of the things in this chapter. I thought twenty minutes was a bit too short for even Sonic, so I've changed it to an hour. Also, in the next few chapters, I will list how much time Sonic has left to save his friends for some suspense (I've made it similar to the TV series _24_).

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Chapter #2: The Search Begins

**9:30 AM**

**Emerald Coast**

The next morning, on a remote, well-hidden cove of Emerald Coast, Sonic the Hedgehog was sunning himself in a poolside chair, enjoying his small vacation. "Nuthin' like a day at the beach," he said to himself. "There's plenty of sand, sun, and…err…water…" He paused and then just shrugged. "Oh well, I'm fine if I avoid it."

Suddenly a bucket of water appeared out of nowhere and dumped its contents on his face. _"Agh!"_ The hero jumped out of his chair, expecting to see someone like Amy standing in front of him, but instead it was a little black robot with a jetpack attached to his back. (Remember him from Sonic X?) He was holding a now empty bucket and was shrieking with laughter.

"Hehehehehe! You shoulda seen the look on your face!" he squealed in his high-pitched robotic voice.

"What the heck are _you_ doin' here?" said Sonic angrily. He grabbed the robot by the throat and got ready to give him a knuckle sandwich.

The little imp showed pure terror on his face for a second, but then his face split into a sort of evil grin. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said.

Sonic turned to look behind his back and got a robotic fist in the face, sending him sprawling. _Darn it. I forgot that robots always travel in groups, _he thought as he spat out some gritty sand. Suddenly he felt a foot pinning him to the ground, and he struggled to turn on his back. In an instant a metallic hand had him by the throat, and Sonic found himself staring into the red eyes of Metal Sonic.

_Uh oh._

The little robot hovered around and pumped his fists into the air, cheering for his savior, "Get 'im, Metal! Get 'im!"

Metal Sonic's red eyes gleamed, murder plainly written on them. He lifted his foot and slowly began to raise his enemy higher into the air, suffocating him further. But he never got any further than that.

"Release him, Metal Sonic," said a familiar voice. And who should come out from behind a boulder but Dr. Eggman in his Egg Mobile. Upon seeing his master, the One-That-Must-_Always_-Be-Obeyed, Metal released his prey, though reluctantly.

Sonic fell helplessly to the sand, coughing and rubbing his throttled neck. But he didn't stay defenseless; the instant Eggman moved closer he did an impressive backflip away from them, landing perfectly and with raised fists to boot. Acting as though he hadn't been nearly strangled to death moments before, he cracked his famous smirk, which almost always drove his enemy crazy. "Nobody told me you guys were having a party here," the hedgehog said.

Eggman smiled back, and that always meant that something was up. "You think you have the upper hand, don't you?"

"Well, one hedgehog against a mad scientist and two robots isn't what I call fair. But…" he spun around in circles, "my speed evens the odds."

"So you think! But I have an ace up my sleeve. Show him, Bokkun!"

The little robot grabbed a tiny yellow television set out of the Egg Mobile and showed it to Sonic. With the flick of a switch, the set turned on. Sonic stepped back in surprise at the image on the screen.

All four of his friends—Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream (with Cheese)—were locked in a cage.

The rabbit and the Chao were sitting in one corner, whimpering. Amy was trying to comfort them, but she met with little success. Knuckles was gripping two of the cage's bars and trying to either crush them or force them apart. Every so often he let go and started pounding them with his fists, yelling at the same time that he wanted out. Tails appeared to be testing the cage's lock and the strength of the bars.

The TV turned off, and Sonic found himself clenching his fists. "Where are they?" he said demandingly.

The doctor grinned; he had pushed the right button in his foe. "I've scattered them and set them in traps all over the city." He pulled out a remote with a single green button. "The traps are each set to start on a different time, since it will take different amounts of time for them to do their job. By the time the clock hits 0, all of your friends will be, well..." Eggman made a slashing movement across his throat with his finger.

The glare Sonic had on his face could've melted the North Pole. "You're twisted, Doc."

"Think of it more as a challenge to prove you really are the fastest living thing around. In fact, I'll give you a little hint: each of your friends has a Chaos Emerald."

Sonic relaxed a bit. _I'll bet Egghead doesn't know I've got the dark blue Emerald in my shoe, _he thought with a tiny smile. Out loud he said, "Thanks for the tip. This should be a piece of ca—_yow!"_

Something had stung him in the back of the neck…_hard._ The hedgehog reached back and pulled out something like a tranquilizer dart. "What was _this_ for?"

Eggman chuckled. "I should have warned you there was a string attached. That was a little something to raise the stakes. Now you must not only save the others' lives," he pointed a finger at Sonic, "you must save _yours."_

"What are you talking about?"

"You have just been injected with a deadly poison. Gradually you will succumb to it if you don't find the antidote. I've hidden it in the jungle at the Echidnean ruins. You have no time to rescue all your friends _and_ get the antidote; I tested it on a simulator. Now you must make a choice: save your friends…or save yourself."

Being his cocky self, the hero just smirked and said, "You think so, huh? Well, you just wait, Doc. I'll show you the meaning of speed!" With that, Sonic the Hedgehog sped away for Station Square. His search-and-rescue mission for his friends had begun.

As his arch-foe rocketed away down the beach, Eggman pressed down on the green button, and red digital letters appeared below it, starting at "1:00:00" (one hour) and slowly counting down the seconds and minutes. His gaze turned back to the blue blur zooming across the sandy beach.

For the first time Metal Sonic spoke. "Master, what if Sonic _does_ succeed?"

The doctor glared at the robotic hedgehog. "He _won't_." Then his face creased into a wicked grin. "But it's good to have some insurance, isn't it? Metal, follow him and give him as hard a time as you can."

Metal's eyes glowed--another opportunity to get rid of his enemy once and for all! "Yes, Master." He rocketed away to the city, hot on the hero's heels.

In seconds, Sonic had changed from the hunter to the hunted.


	3. Of Sewers and Trash Compactors

Chapter #3: Of Sewers and Trash Compactors

**9:40 AM**

**Downtown Station Square**

**Time Left: 55 minutes (time started at approximately 9:35) **

Station Square was busy and full of activity and noise as usual—cars honking, people talking or shouting over the din, and music playing from inside shops. It seemed that everybody was in a hurry—including one supersonic hedgehog.

Sonic screeched to a halt at an intersection to catch his breath, drawing the attention of the humans around him. He ignored them and remained concentrated on the blue Emerald in his hands. The hero tried to recall how Tails had once explained how to find an Emerald using one just like it.

"The Chaos Emeralds act like magnets," he had said. "They're drawn to each other. The key is their brightness and their energy activity. The brighter and the warmer one Emerald is, the closer the other is located."

Returning his thoughts to the jewel, Sonic studied its behavior closely. It felt warm in his hands and glowed intensely. He had to be close to another gem and one of his friends. But where were they?

"If I were Egghead, where would I put somebody?" muttered the hedgehog. As if in answer to his thoughts, he spotted an open manhole. The sewers, of course! To the surprise of the crowd of humans, he leaped into the air and did a perfect dive into the hole, head first.

What he didn't know was that this section of the sewer ran downhill, creating a waterslide. He realized it too late.

SPLASH!

"_Whoa!" _

The current was cold and merciless; it slammed him into the walls on turns, swirled him round and round when other streams formed eddies, and sent him down deeper, darker paths into the center of the system. Just when he thought it would never end the tunnel abruptly sent him plunging down a waterfall into a pool. The hedgehog managed to grasp the rungs of an underwater ladder and climb out. He collapsed onto the cement floor, shivering and coughing up terrible-tasting sewer water.

Sonic lay there for a few moments to recuperate from his waterslide. Then he slowly stood up to continue his search.

That's when he realized he didn't have the Emerald in his hands.

"Oh no, where is it?" he groaned. Then, as if by magic, the gem fell down the waterfall in a well-soaked cardboard box. Sonic carefully leaned out and grabbed it. As he held it, a sort of warmth spread out from his hands across his body; soon he felt almost dry. Then he noticed that it was glowing much brighter now, bringing radiant light to the dark underworld of the sewer system. "I must be getting closer," he said aloud, his voice creating a loud echo. Seeing only one way out of the chamber, he trudged on.

Holding the Emerald aloft like a lantern, Sonic continued down into a maze of corridors. He tried to avoid any rooms with water tunnels or flooded passages unless the Emerald directed him that way. Without the jewel as his guide, he surely would have been lost in that dank underworld of grime and filthy water. But he didn't seem to be getting out of the maze; instead he was going further in. Where was the Emerald leading him? He could only trust it and trek onward into the darkness.

Suddenly the labyrinth came to a halt, and Sonic found himself on a balcony overlooking a huge machine. The left side began with a parking space for trash trucks, where the trucks parked and dumped their bags of garbage onto a conveyor belt. The belt ran into the main body of the machine. The outer covering was made of Plexiglas, so Sonic could see inside.

The inside of the machine was filled with a host of automated devices. At the entrance the belt ended, where three metal claws similar to the candy cranes found in arcades lay in wait. Each claw picked up a garbage bag and ripped open the top, then it dumped the bag's contents into a chute, where another belt started. Further on, a rolling contraption and two alternating pounding blocks crushed the waste flat. Cutting machines sliced down on the garbage before the belt ran through a device that compressed waste into cubes. The cubes rolled out of the machine into a truck that would take them to a plant for recycling or burning. (This machine is similar to the one seen in the movie _Monsters Inc._)

Then it dawned on Sonic what the strange machine was. "Maybe this is one of those new automated trash compactors," he said to himself.

"Good guess."

The voice came from next to him, and the hero whirled around to face the speaker—_Metal Sonic._

The red eyes stared at him and glowed with evil and cunning. "This machine runs by itself, and only needs to be checked once a week. It is very efficient in compacting waste for transport to the furnaces, which is why Master Eggman uses it."

Suddenly the trash truck pulled away, and another quickly took its place. But this one was different; a robot was driving it, and it had Eggman's logo for a license plate. The back opened, and bags of garbage, mostly useless robot parts, tumbled onto the conveyor belt.

And then Sonic caught sight of something orange.

"Cream! Cheese!"

The rabbit sat in the midst of the garbage bags, her arms tied to her sides and her feet and ears bound. Cheese sat in her lap with the same bonds, and both of them had duct tape over their mouths. They looked around for the voice that had spoken their names, but both hedgehogs, hero and robot, were out of sight.

Metal's eyes glowed brighter—his way of expressing glee. "If you want to save them, you'll need to move fast; they won't last thirty seconds in the compactor." He chuckled wickedly; if he had had a mouth, it would have been smiling with evil pleasure.

At that last comment, Sonic raced down the stairs and jumped onto the conveyor belt. Metal did not follow; he probably would be crushed trying to attack his rival inside the machine. He decided to wait and see if the hero would succeed in rescuing his friends.

Sonic had raced to the rescue a bit too late. By the time he had gotten within three yards of Cream and Cheese, they had gone into the entrance to the compactor. He followed them in and found them trapped in the grip of one of the metal claws. To his relief, the claw broke the ropes binding Cream. As Cheese began to fall off of her lap, she grabbed him and held him close to her with fright. The claw threw them into the garbage chute, and Sonic dove in after them. Much to his disgust, he landed in a pile of food scraps from the robot truck (well, Eggman has to eat, doesn't he?). He quickly brushed himself off and ran over to Cream.

"Cream! Are you two okay?" he said as he ripped the duct tape off their mouths.

"Mr. Sonic!" cried Cream in delight, and she hugged him as tightly as she could. "Thank you so much for helping us!"

"Chao chao!" said Cheese in agreement.

The hero smiled back, and then said, "Cream, do you have any idea where Eggman hid the others?"

Instead of answering, Cream shouted, "Mr. Sonic, look out!"

It was then that the trio noticed the rolling device, which was bearing down on them. Sonic grabbed Cream and ran back to the garbage chute to escape, but it was no use trying to climb back up the way they had come. Cream and Cheese began to cry, but then Sonic noticed the pile of garbage coming out of the chute, and an idea came into his head. Grabbing the rabbit with one hand, he jumped onto the waste pile and waited for the right time to leap. When he saw his chance, the hedgehog bent his legs and sprang up over the roller to the other side. Cream and Cheese cheered.

But they weren't out of it yet; up next were the pounding blocks. Sonic watched them thoughtfully as they crushed the garbage alternately—left, right, left, right, etc. Then, just as the left block came down, he grabbed Cream's arm and charged. When they got there it was rising upward, and they raced under it safely to the other side. The block came crashing down moments afterward.

And then there was the line of slicing devices. Each of them came down guillotine-style at different intervals, so Sonic and Cream had to carefully dash under them before they came down. They finally jumped over the compressing machine through the exit and landed in a heap by the end of the conveyor belt, both of them panting heavily from exhaustion.

Suddenly heavy footsteps pounded on the balcony, and Sonic instantly sprang up, remembering his enemy. "Let's go, Cream!" he said, and without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her hand and raced through the garage door leading out of the chamber.

But Metal Sonic did not follow. Instead he flipped open the wrist communicator and contacted his boss.

"Master, Sonic rescued the rabbit girl."

"_Curses! I was hoping the trash compactor would kill him. But never mind that. Which one do you think he'll find next?"_

"Perhaps the foxboy, Master; he is much closer than the rest. Should I head over to the warehouse?"

"_No! Sonic might be smart enough to follow you! I'll go there myself."_

"As you command, Master."

"_By the way, how is the poison doing?"_

"I did not see any symptoms, sir."

"_Trust me, he will have a spasm very soon."_

**Time Left: 35 minutes

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**

**NOTE:** Please don't attack me for the very fictional trash compactor! I didn't know what else to do with the sewer setting besides flooding, and I really want to mess with Sonic's dislike of water much later in this fanfic. 


	4. The Hunt Heats Up

Chapter #4: The Hunt "Heats Up"

**10:00 AM**

**Exit to Station Square's Garbage Maintenance System**

**Time Left: 35 minutes**

Eggman's prediction happened just as the words left his mouth.

As he, Cream, and Cheese were walking out of the road tunnel leading out of the sewer system, Sonic suddenly felt very dizzy and nauseous. His vision was clouded with colors and shapes. He swayed on shaky legs and leaned against the brick wall to get a breather.

Cream and Cheese didn't see their savior's strange behavior, and so they kept on walking. Just as they were about to go onto the sidewalk, Cream said, "Thank you for helping us, Mr. Sonic."

A groan and a thud answered her.

The duo turned around and gasped. "Sonic!" Cream shrieked, and she ran to the hero, who lay in a crumpled heap. She shook him vigorously and whimpered with tear-filled eyes, "What's wrong with you? Please, say something!"

Much to her relief, the hedgehog slowly sat up. "Ohh…man, my head hurts," he said as he rubbed the bruise from his fall. "But I'm okay. I need to go find everybody else." He stood up, his eyes glinting with determination.

Cream pulled the purple Chaos Emerald out of her pocket. "Will this help?" she asked.

Sonic grinned and replied, "Yeah, that'll help a lot. Thanks!" He took it from her and tucked the blue one in his shoe. "Now let's go!" With his permission, Cream climbed onto his back and looped her arms around his neck, and he sped off.

With the energy from two Emeralds guiding them, Sonic, Cream, and Cheese rocketed through the city. In only a minute they had the trail, which ultimately led them to the harbor district. Suddenly a fire truck sped past them, with its siren wailing. Wondering where the fire was, the hedgehog raced after it. He found it and three others parked in front of a burning warehouse.

"It looks bad," said Cream as she fell gently off Sonic's back. Suddenly she noticed the hero studying his Emerald. "What's wrong?"

"The Emerald is glowing..." he replied, his brow creasing with worry a bit more. "That means one of the others is around here...maybe inside the warehouse."

Suddenly something dawned on Cream, and she covered her mouth in dismay. "Oh no! Mr. Sonic, this was the place where Dr. Eggman kept us!"

"It _is_?"

"Yes, and when Eggman took me away, I remember him telling his robots to set it on fire!"

"So one of the others must be in there!" The hedgehog turned to run for the burning building.

But Cream wasn't done. Her eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed, "He also told them to leave _Tails_ inside!"

Sonic screeched to a halt. He turned and stared at her in disbelief. "Not _Tails_..." A horrifying image of his best friend suffocating from the smoke flashed through his mind. He turned back and said with rage, "If he's hurt or...worse...I'll make you _pay_, Eggman!" Without another word he rocketed past the fire trucks and surprised firefighters into the blazing warehouse.

The whole building was a great big inferno. The fire was hungrily consuming any wood in its path. Smoke clouded Sonic's vision, causing his eyes to water. He took a deep breath to call Tails' name, but instantly went into a fit of coughing from the dangerous smoke. He ducked down where the air was freshest and crawled into the main room of the building, feeling his way to the center.

_If this is the place where Eggman kept Cream and the rest, then that TV screen had to show the room they were held in, _Sonic thought._ It looked like the cage was in the center of the room... _He felt his hands touch iron bars, and he looked up. _Bingo! Here it is!_ He peered into the cage and called, "Tails! Are you in there?"

A small whimper of some sort answered him. It was small, but it was enough.

"Hang in there! I'll get you out!" he yelled, and he got up and searched for the door. He found it locked. "Darn it!" Then he spotted the place where Knuckles had been trying to force the bars apart. He had almost succeeded; it only needed a bit more prying before someone could squeeze himself through. The hedgehog glanced around for a crowbar, and his gaze settled on a closet. He busted the door down and found a crowbar next to a toolbox. With a bit of hard prying, the bars opened wide enough for Sonic to get inside the cage.

A small, furry form lay in one corner.

"Tails!" Sonic bent down by the fox and shook his shoulder. "Are you all right? C'mon, buddy, answer me!"

Tails rolled over onto his back with a moan. He stared at the blurry figure through half-closed eyes. "Wh-who's there?" he mumbled, suddenly going into a coughing spasm. But his vision seemed to clear, and he saw his rescuer better. "Sonic?"

"No, it's the President. Of course it's me!" replied the hedgehog with a grin.

Groaning, the boy sat up and looked around at the blazing room. "This isn't exactly the place to be making jokes," he remarked.

"Good point. Let's get outta here." He stood up...and instantly went back down, holding his head in one hand. "Ohh man, not again..."

"What's wrong?" asked Tails, concern for his best friend written all over his face.

Sonic shook his head and said, "I'm fine, just a headache, that's all. It's probably from inhaling all this smoke."

Tails started coughing harder than before. His friend picked him up and pushed him through the hole in the cage. After getting himself out, he grabbed Tails' hand and guided him out of the room. They paused to look for a safe way out, and then they heard the ceiling groaning. Not daring to look up, Sonic shoved Tails forward right before the doorway collapsed. This narrow escape and several similar ones pushed the hedgehog and the fox onward without rest through the smoky hallways until they found the front entrance blocked.

"Aw man, it was open when I ran in!" said Sonic as he stamped his foot in frustration.

"Now how do we get out of here?" said Tails in despair.

A cold voice froze them in their tracks.

"_You don't."_

The duo turned to face the speaker. Tails' face showed complete surprise. "Metal Sonic? What are you doing here?"

Not taking his eyes off of his robotic twin, Sonic grasped his friend's wrist and hissed in his ear, "No time to sit and chat. _Run!" _They dashed down the hall to their left, narrowly avoiding the laser blasts Metal had fired from his fingers.

With the robotic hedgehog on their heels, Sonic and Tails ran down the maze of halls, looking for any windows that they could break through. But Eggman's firetrap was foolproof; every window was boarded up, and plenty of wood was left lying around for the flames to engulf.

The fire seemed to decide for them their path of escape; nearly every time they stopped at a junction some burning wood fell into at least one way, and they were forced to take the safest route. But like the smelly, dank sewers Sonic had almost been lost in, they seemed to be going further into the chaotic blaze, not out of it.

Just when they thought they had lost Metal and were going to find a way out, they reached a dead end. The duo turned to go back, but then part of the ceiling collapsed into their path. Sonic moaned, "We're stuck!" He was ready to scream in frustration, but he first took a glance at his buddy.

Tears were beginning to well up in Tails' eyes, and they certainly weren't from the smoke; he was losing hope in escaping. Metal Sonic would catch up with them any moment, and the warehouse was starting to look more and more like a tomb. The hero had to be confident for his friend, or the boy might give up entirely.

As he tried to think of something that would hopefully raise Tails' spirits, Sonic noticed a slight crack in the left wall of their dead end. He shoved his shoulder into it, and he felt it give slightly. "We're not dead yet!" he cried with confidence. "Stand back, Tails!" Once the boy had obeyed, he curled into a tight ball and charged at the weak wall. The hedgehog's spindash broke through completely, and the brick collapsed to reveal the outside.

With a cry of triumph, Tails rushed out of the warehouse, with Sonic following. Once they were far from the building and hidden from sight behind an ambulance, they fell down and took a well-deserved breather.

Suddenly a voice called to them. "Mr. Sonic! Tails!" It was Cream; she had been sitting inside the ambulance waiting for them to return. Both Cream and Cheese hugged Tails. "I'm so glad you're okay, Tails!" said the rabbit, with an agreement from her Chao. (Not trying to make a Tails/Cream thing here.) But suddenly she pulled away and wiped her dress. "You're both dirty!"

It was true; both the hedgehog and the fox were covered in dirt from the smoke (is it called soot?). The two stared at each other and chuckled. They grabbed some towels from the ambulance and set to wiping themselves clean.

In a nearby alley, the shadowy hulk of Eggman's walker sat silently, its pilot watching the trio. Then Metal Sonic appeared beside him.

"I'm sorry, Master. I failed to destroy them," he said.

"No worries, Metal. The poison will rid us of Sonic soon. Although he seems to be more resistant to it than I first supposed, and that worries me..."

"Do you want me to kill him now, Master Eggman?"

"No, Metal, let's wait and see if he can save the other two..."

**Time Left: 20 minutes**


	5. Trouble on the Tracks

Chapter #5: Trouble on the Tracks

**10:15 AM **

**Eggman's Warehouse, Station Square Harbor**

**Time Left: 20 minutes**

"Sonic, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Both Sonic and Tails had recovered from their narrow escape in the burning warehouse, and now Tails wanted to know why he had almost suffocated to death in a cage. Sonic, however, seemed eager to be off.

"Tails, I don't have time."

"Sonic, please? Maybe I can help!"

"All right! Eggman put all four of you in traps so I would have to come and save you! He gave me an hour to rescue all of you."

The way the hedgehog rubbed his forehead in pain told Tails there was more to it, but he didn't press his friend. Instead he asked, "When did you start?"

"I'd say a little after 9:30."

Tails looked at his watch. "Oh boy. You only have about 20 minutes left."

"_20 minutes!_ Jeez, that's pushin' it! I'd better stop wasting my time and get going _now!"_ He leapt up from his seat on the ambulance's bumper and began to walk away, but suddenly he clutched his stomach and fell to the road on his knees, groaning in pain.

"Sonic!" Tails cried. He and Cream were at his side immediately. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"He did something like this before, when he rescued me and Cheese," Cream told him.

Realizing that the two might delay him further, Sonic stood up with one hand on his stomach and said, "I'm fine." He wobbled a bit on his feet, and his free hand flew to his forehead as the headaches returned to torment him. "It's nothing to worry about. Right now I need to find Knuckles and Amy. Do you have any idea where they are, Tails?"

"I don't know exactly, but I heard Eggman say something about 'causing havoc on the tracks', and the only place with tracks is..." The two looked at each other and cried out the answer in unison.

"The train station!"

Once again Cream climbed onto Sonic's back, and he rocketed away, with Tails half-running, half-hovering behind him.

They found the train station in an uproar—everything powered by electricity was off. When Sonic questioned one of the clerks at the ticket booths, he said that the power had been cut to the station, and all of the trains had been stranded.

"Eggman's work," Sonic muttered under his breath.

"But what is he up to?" wondered Cream.

Suddenly the lights flickered on, and the crowds of waiting humans cheered. Sonic glanced at the clock in the clerk's booth, and it read "10:20". He remembered what Eggman had said about the traps being set to start at certain times.

Suddenly one of the screens that showed trains leaving and entering the station came on, and everyone saw that one train loaded with passengers had embarked without permission from the conductors.

"That train must be under Eggman's control," said Tails.

Sonic snapped his fingers; the answer had come to him. "It's the old 'damsel-in-distress-tied-to-the-railroad-tracks' game!"

Once again that robotic voice spoke.

"It certainly is."

A crowd of humans scattered to reveal Metal Sonic.

"Not you again!" cried Cream.

Immediately Sonic sped off to the train's platform and leaped onto the tracks, with Metal following seconds behind. In half a minute they were out on top of a track raised above the paved city roads (much like the one train track in _Spiderman 2_). Up ahead was the train, and without much thought Sonic dashed past it; for some reason Metal Sonic didn't follow. The hero was relieved that his foe was gone for the moment, but he didn't slow down to regain his strength; instead he put on a bigger burst of speed. Now he could focus on the girl tied to the railroad tracks.

Or rather the _guy_ tied to the railroad tracks.

"What the heck are _you_ doin' tied here, Knuckles, old buddy?" asked Sonic with a playful smirk as he screeched to a stop beside his friend. "Aren't the _girls _supposed to be tied to the railroad tracks and left to be run over?"

"Aw, shut up," Knuckles growled before the hedgehog could add anything insulting. "Just hurry up and untie me!" He strained against the strong ropes binding him for emphasis.

"Okay, okay, keep your gloves on! And quit straining!" Sonic tugged against the ropes, but it did no good. "Man, I should've asked Tails for his trusty pocket knife." Suddenly a familiar laser shot missed his hand and cut a part of the rope. "A laser works too." He turned to face the shooter and gave a smart-aleck grin. "Thanks, Metal."

The robotic hedgehog was in his Sonic disguise, and he gave back an exact copy of the smile (Sonic hated it when he did that). "You're quite welcome," he replied.

With part of the rope ripped, Knuckles managed to free his arms. "Something's up," he whispered to Sonic as he slid his feet out of his binds.

"You've got more things to worry about than your echidna friend, Sonic. That train is carrying many passengers, and Master Eggman has put an end to the track circuit."

"You mean he sabotaged it!" said Sonic with gritted teeth.

"He destroyed one part of the track, if you want to be specific. The train will crash if it cannot avoid the danger."

"We'll warn it, and it'll stop before it crashes!" Knux said, getting to his feet.

"That train won't be doing any 'stopping' for a while, echidna."

"What the heck do you mean?"

Grinning wickedly, Metal pulled a strange object from behind his back. Sonic and Knuckles paled.

It was the train's brake lever.


	6. A Hero's Duty

Chapter #6: A Hero's Duty

**10:25 AM**

**Station Square Train Tracks**

**Time Left: 10 minutes**

The whistling of the runaway train brought Sonic and Knuckles out of their daze, and they jumped away just as the locomotive whizzed past them. As it passed, Sonic saw the horrified faces of the doomed passengers. He gritted his teeth and began to dart after it, but then he heard the voice of Tails call out to him.

"Sonic! Knuckles!" Tails and Cream came flying into view, and they landed beside their friends. "Are you guys okay?" asked the fox, almost oblivious to Metal Sonic's presence.

Cream stared after the train as it continued its unstoppable crash course. "Mr. Sonic, you've got to stop that train!" she pleaded to the hero with "puppy eyes".

Sonic nodded and turned to pursue the train again, but then Metal Sonic's voice stopped him. "Aren't you forgetting a few things, hedgehog?" The robot stepped in his way and held up the brake lever again. "That train can't stop; trying to save those humans is a useless attempt. There are other lives you should be thinking of…like your girlfriend's."

Metal had Sonic's full attention. "Amy?" he said with clenched fists. "Where is she?"

"The question you should be asking is 'How much time does she have left?' Her trap has already started, and she has less than ten minutes to live. So now you have a choice: save your girl, or save those humans? You must choose who lives and who dies. There are lives in your hands…including your own."

"Sonic, what's he talking about?" asked Tails.

Before the hedgehog could respond, the headaches returned, along with pains all over his body. The sudden attack was so great that he fell to his knees, groaning in anguish. When the others tried to help him, he simply stood up and resumed glaring at Metal. The pains persisted, but he did his best to ignore them.

Metal Sonic activated the rockets in his boots and hovered a few feet above the tracks. "You had better make your choice fast, _hero!_ _Time is running out…"_ With a robotic cackle Metal rocketed into the sky; Eggman had ordered him to stay out of this part of the plan.

As his robot nemesis disappeared from sight, Sonic looked down the tracks where the train had gone, his mind racing.

What was he supposed to do? If he didn't stop that train, many innocent human lives would be lost. And he couldn't forget Amy or the poison. This delay could cost Amy her life…and he might not make it either…

Metal's words came to mind. _"You had better make your choice fast, _hero_…"_

And suddenly the answer came to Sonic.

He was a hero, and a hero's duty is to help _everyone _in need, no matter what the personal cost. He had to save both Amy and the train passengers…even if it cost him his life…

He only hoped that Amy could wait, because that train certainly wouldn't.

"Guys, we're goin' after that train!" he declared finally to his friends. With that he sped off, not waiting for them.

He surged around a bend in the track and caught sight of the locomotive. He rocketed past its front, searching for the hole that would spell doom to the humans. Instead he saw a good length of straight track; good, maybe he could push against it and stop it.

It was only when he was straining against the front car did he realize how stupid his idea was. The train was tons heavier than he was and much bigger in size; even though he pushed against it at a hard speed, it generated too much force for him to hold it back very well, much less stop it.

The pains came back again, and he was forced to stop pushing the train. He rushed alongside it, trying to think up a new plan. Suddenly something red dropped from above and landed on the roof of the front car: Knuckles!

"Sonic! Did you try pushing on the train?"

"I did!" replied the hedgehog. "It doesn't work!"

He shouted back, "Tails told me to disable the engine! That should slow it down!"

"Go for it!"

Knux smashed through one of the front car's windows feet-first and disappeared into the car. As soon as he heard the engine shut down, Sonic resumed fighting the train. But even though it was off, the train continued to move.

Knuckles reappeared on the top and called to his friend, "It's off, so how come we're still moving?"

"You expect this thing to just screech to a halt, Knux?" Sonic called back. "It needs some time to slow down and stop!"

The Guardian spotted something ahead in the distance, and his eyes widened. "I don't think we have much time." He pointed a finger. "Hole dead ahead!"

Sonic turned his head as far as he could to see for himself. Ahead of them was the gaping hole that Eggman had blown into the train tracks, and they were headed straight for it. But then he spotted something that Eggman had neglected.

Before the hole, the tracks split into two directions. The hole was on the right turn, and the left led further into the city. The track switch sat between the two paths, with the sign indicating that they would be going right. The sight of the switch caused an idea to pop into Sonic's mind, and he instantly went into action.

The hero turned on one heel and sped forward for the junction, running as fast as his legs could go. He was at the switch in seconds; he grasped it and began to pull it in the right direction. The switch was quite rusty, so he had to put more effort into it. The switch tracks clicked into place only moments before the train arrived. It raced onto them and turned down the left bend, safe from the hole. Inside the passengers cheered.

Grinning with triumph and panting from the close rescue, Sonic ran to the side the slowing train. As he raced neck-and-neck with the front car, he gave his echidna companion a thumbs-up. Knuckles nodded and smiled back.

"Good job," Knux called to him.

"Couldn't have done it without ya, partner," Sonic replied. His words made Knuckles smile even more.

The train pulled into a station close by Emerald Coast, halting in the perfect place at the platform. As the passengers filed out, many praised the two Mobians for their deed. Just as Sonic finished shaking hands with the conductor, Tails and Cream raced up to them, quite relieved to see that the rescue had succeeded without any injuries. The hedgehog and the fox slapped a high-five.

Hidden behind a soda machine, Metal Sonic watched the four, grinning inwardly. _"Party all you want, hedgehog, but it won't save your girlfriend," _he muttered. Then his wrist communicator beeped, and he spoke into it. "Yes, Master?"

"_How did it go, Metal? Did the hedgehog fail?"_

"I am afraid not, Doctor. You forgot the train switch, and he used it to send the train to safety."

"_Curses! I should have remembered that!"_

"But I have some good news."

"_It had _better_ be good…"_

"The poison is working perfectly; it appears to be attacking Sonic's nervous system, causing severe pain all over his body."

"_Ho ho! Perfect! If he decides to rescue the girl, then the antidote will be beyond his reach! And we'll be rid of him once and for all, Metal Sonic!"_

"I cannot wait, Master…"

**Time Left: 6 minutes**


	7. Race Against the Tide

Chapter #7: Race Against the Tide

**10:30 AM**

**Emerald Coast Train Station**

**Time Left: 5 minutes**

"Knuckles, what's wrong with Sonic?"

"I really don't know, Tails."

For some reason, Sonic had fainted right before his friends' eyes. They had tried to shake him awake, but had been unsuccessful. In one last attempt, Knuckles told Cream to fetch some water from a fountain. She returned with the water in a plastic cup, and he threw the liquid in Sonic's face. The hedgehog stirred and sat up, groaning.

"Wha…what happened?" he mumbled.

"You fainted," replied Knuckles, his brows creased with concern. "What's the matter? Are you sick or something?" He pressed one hand against Sonic's forehead…and pulled it away a second later. "Sheesh, you're burning up!"

Sonic shoved away Knuckles' hand. "Never mind me; we've got other things to worry about…like Amy!"

"Do you even know where she is?" Knux said with his arms folded.

"…No, but I'll find her!"

"You had better." Metal Sonic came out from his hiding place. "She only has five more minutes. Of course, it could be less; the tide might come in faster today."

"The _tide?_" exclaimed Tails.

_Emerald Coast…that's where she is, _thought Sonic with relief.

Metal kicked himself inwardly for revealing Amy's hiding place to his foe, but neither his face nor his voice showed any emotion. "There's still time to find the antidote, hedgehog; go after it if you want to live another day."

Ignoring his friends' puzzled stares, Sonic stood up and met his robot twin's gaze. "Lesson Number One in Hero School, pal: put other people's lives before your own. I'm going after Amy." With that he rushed out of the train station for the beach, with his buddies struggling to follow him.

* * *

Sonic thoroughly scanned the beaches as he raced across the sandy shores in search of Amy. He didn't leave any cove unchecked or private property unsearched. But there was no sign of her. Too bad Metal hadn't said _exactly_ where she was! 

And then he remembered his Chaos Emerald. He stopped to take the gem out of his shoe and held it up. Its glow was very bright; he had to be close. He climbed onto a mountain of rock and thought hard.

Amy's trap had something to do with the tide, so that meant it had to be close to or below the tideline…

As he stared at the Emerald glow brighter and become warmer, Sonic failed to notice where he was stepping and…

CRACK!

"Hey!"

His foot fell into a hole in the rock. He stared at his stuck foot and wiggled it around; there was plenty of space. The rock was hollow?

The movement of his foot caused small rocks to fall inside the hollow space. The hedgehog heard some of them splash into water, but a few found another target on their way down.

"Ow! What the…Sonic?"

He quickly removed his foot and called into the small cave, "Amy? Is that you?" He broke off more rocks to widen the hole. Finally the light revealed a small cave with some water on the bottom, and in the center was Amy, locked in an iron cage and soaked to the bone.

"Sonic!" she cried again.

"Hang on, Amy! I'll get you out!"

"Please hurry! The tide's coming in fast!"

Quickly Sonic leaped off the rock and darted for the entrance. He found most of the side facing the ocean closed by a giant boulder, but there was a small hole close to the ground. _Eggman must have blocked the way in to make it harder on me, _he thought with a frown. Already half of the hole was underwater; he had to get in fast. He got on his hands and knees and managed to crawl through the opening without getting his spikes wet.

Upon seeing her rescuer, Amy rattled the cage bars and urged him, "Hurry! Get me out!"

Sonic came over and examined the cage, testing the strength of the bars. He quickly discovered that the only way out was through the door; it was closed with a tough lock located on the top of the cage. The top was a bit high, and the bars were too slippery to climb. "Amy, gimme a boost up!" he said.

The girl obeyed and held out her hands. Sonic placed one foot on them and hoisted himself up onto the top. He pulled on the lock, but it did not break. "Shoot!" he muttered. "How the heck am I gonna do this?"

Suddenly a wave pounded against the rock cave, and more seawater poured inside. Amy whimpered in fear as the water level rose from her knees to her waist, and she backed away into the corner of the cage farthest from the hole. Sonic noticed the water rising as well, and he fully realized his situation. Beads of sweat appeared on his brow, his old fear of water returning to haunt him.

He was in a cave with water rising, and he couldn't swim…

He gripped the cage bars tighter as the bluish-green salt water rose up to Amy's chest. He felt nauseous just looking at the rising liquid, but he couldn't take his eyes off it. What had he been thinking when he crawled into this cave? Then, out of the corner of one eye, he spotted Amy cowering in her corner, whimpering and shivering. Seeing her made him remember his mission, and his eyes shone with determination.

Never mind his hydrophobia! He had to get Amy out of the cave, no matter what! But _how_?

During Sonic's entrance into the cave, the sun had been blocked by some thick, white clouds. It finally came out from behind the clouds, and a beam of yellow light streamed through the hole Sonic had made in the ceiling of the cave. He looked up at the hole and watched more loose rocks tumble into the seawater; this gave him an idea. He jumped off the cage, landed in the water, and began groping for a stone he could use to smash the lock on the cage. He came upon the perfect rock—small enough that he could handle it well, yet heavy and sharp enough that it could smash a lock. He climbed back onto the top and set to breaking the lock to pieces with his weapon.

By now the water level had carried Amy nearer to the top of the cage, and she was kicking her legs to just keep her head out of the water. She strained her head to watch the blue hedgehog work; to her worry, he wasn't making much progress. "Sonic…" she whimpered, "The water…I can't…keep my head up…"

He turned to stare at her, and he saw that she was ready to give up. His expression of concentration turned into real concern. He grasped her wrist with his free hand. "Hold on a bit longer, Amy," he said to her softly, his eyes pleading her to keep fighting. "Before the water goes over your head, take a deep breath."

His words and tone had a comforting effect on her, and she nodded, her eyes locked on his. Slowly he let go of her and resumed pounding on the lock. The water continued to rise, and soon Amy's head bumped the top of the cage; she could rise no further. They both heard the sound of another wave, and as the water rushed in and rose above their heads, the two hedgehogs took one last gulp of air and shut their eyes.

A second later, Sonic opened his eyes, and upon seeing that Amy was all right for the time, attacked the stubborn lock as hard as he could. Finally, the piece holding the door shut broke, and he quickly tore the lock off. With what strength remained in his arms, he slid the door open. As Amy scrambled out and grabbed his leg, he looked up and realized that the only way out was the way he had come in; the hole he had made in the ceiling was way too small. They would have to swim out through the opening at the bottom of the cave.

Amy climbed up Sonic's leg and wrapped her arms around his neck. He adjusted her position so she was on his back, and then dove down toward the opening. Just as he began to swim through it, another wave slammed against the rocks; the current sent the two backwards a few feet. Knowing that the waves had a pattern he could use to his advantage, Sonic waited until the next wave came. As the wave reached its peak and the water began to recede, he pushed forward—kicking his legs and moving his arms as he had seen others do. The receding water pulled him and Amy through the hole and out into the open water.

Sonic continued "swimming" upwards to reach the surface, but then another wave suddenly shoved them into the outer wall of the cave, knocking some breath out of him. The hedgehog felt Amy's grip loosen, and he turned his head to look at her. At that moment she let out her breath and fell away from him, her eyes closed in unconsciousness. He put one arm around her waist and carried her up with him to the surface.

Sonic broke through the surface of the ocean, gasping for air, and he paddled for shore with his free hand. He kneeled on the sand, taking a moment to gulp the fresh air. "We made it, Amy," he said to the girl in between gasps. "Amy?" He turned his head to look at her, and his blood froze in fear.

Amy lay where he had placed her, not moving…not breathing.

Panic gripped the hedgehog, and he rushed to her side. "Amy! C'mon, girl, wake up!" He slapped her, shook her, and even slammed her back to get rid of any water she had swallowed, but still she drew no breath. Remembering what paramedics and lifeguards did to people with the same problem, he performed CPR. But even that didn't work. He tried to recall any other ways to revive a person that had nearly drowned, and one popped into his mind. He groaned in embarrassment.

The one thing he hadn't tried was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

_I won't be able to live this down if she wakes up in the middle of it, _he thought with anguish. _And she most certainly will. _He looked to the sky and complained, "Why me?"

But that was the only thing he could do; he didn't know any other technique. With a defeated sigh, he took Amy's head in his hands, took a deep breath, and began. He tried the method twice without any response, so he bent down to do it a third time…

…and then everything happened in a flash.

Amy's arms, which had laid limp at her side, now suddenly looped around his neck and pulled his head down. Sonic found himself forced into the one thing he hated more than water—a kiss.

Amy had been playing dead!

"_Amy! Augh!" _screamed the very embarrassed hero as he pulled away from the girl.

Amy sat up and laughed as Sonic rubbed his mouth against his arm. "I couldn't resist it!" she giggled. "I can't believe you actually did that!"

Sonic's face flushed bright red. "I really thought you had drowned for a second, Amy!" he said, trying to hold back his temper. When she continued to laugh, he stomped off down the beach.

The pink hedgehog fell over and rolled in the sand, clutching her sides. Her giggle fit lasted for another thirty seconds or so, and then she stood up. "Okay, Sonic, I'm done. Sonic?" She looked all around for any sign of her savior, but he didn't appear or reply to her calls. She began to wonder if he had left her like he often did when she heard a moan and a thud. "Sonic?" she called out again, rushing towards the source of the noise at the same time.

This time she got a response, but it didn't make her feel any better. "Amy!" Sonic's voice cried out; it sounded like he was in pain. "Amy! Where are you?"

Amy darted past a mound of rocks on the beach, but wheeled around when his voice called her from behind. Sonic lay there, breathing heavily with one hand clutched to his chest, his face twisted in pain.

"Sonic!" Amy was at his side in an instant. "Sonic, what's wrong with you? What's happening?"

"Amy…I'm not…feeling so good…" he replied. "Help me up. I need…to get to the Mystic Ruins."

The earnest look in his eyes showed that he wasn't in the mood to be argued with, so Amy submitted to his wishes. Once he was on his feet, he told her, "Find Tails, Knuckles, and Cream. They were following me when I last looked. Tell them to wait at the workshop for me. If I don't come after five minutes, then look for me at the Echidnean ruins." With those words of instruction given, he sped off.

Only moments after Sonic had left, Tails, Knuckles, and Cream came down that beach and discovered Amy. She told them their blue friend's commands, which left them puzzled. When Tails asked Amy why he had said that, she shrugged.

"Amy, did he act strangely at all? Like he was sick?" Knuckles asked her with suspicion in his eyes.

The girl nodded. "Yeah, he did…he looked like he was in pain, and he had trouble breathing for a bit. Why?"

"He's been acting like that all day," Tails replied. "Knuckles thinks he has a fever or something."

Knux shook his head. "Not anymore. I think I know the answer. Tails, didn't you say that Eggman put us in traps so Sonic would have to rescue us?"

"Yeah…so…"

"So you would think Eggman would've raised the stakes a bit, right?"

"True…something seemed fishy with the whole story…"

"And Metal Sonic was talking about him making a choice, and that he is in just as much danger as we were…"

"What are you getting at already?" Amy blurted out angrily.

"…I think Sonic's been poisoned."

Amy gasped, Cream and Cheese covered their mouths with their hands, and Tails bit his lip with extreme worry—the whole idea made sense.

"Pretty good guess, Knucklehead!" called out that familiar, high-pitched robot voice. The black robot called Bokkun flew out of a nearby palm tree, grinning mischievously.

"Not that little imp!" fumed Knuckles.

"Dr. Eggman told Sonic that he couldn't save you guys _and_ himself, so he had to either find the antidote and let you kick the bucket, or go save you and…" He made a slashing motion across his throat, causing Tails and Knuckles to curl their hands into fists.

"Mr. Sonic will find the antidote!" Cream declared confidently.

But the little robot just smirked and said, "We'll see about that…" It was obvious that he was hiding something, but he wasn't going to tell. With those parting words he hovered away to find his master.

"Now what do we do?" said Amy.

Tails punched a fist into his open hand. "We'll find Sonic and help him get the antidote, of course!"

"We'd better," Knuckles said. "I don't think he has much time left…"


	8. The Search for the Antidote

Chapter #8: The Search for the Antidote

**10:41 AM**

**Mystic Ruins Jungle**

The Mystic Ruins was a vast region of rainforest that sat next to Station Square. Only a tiny portion of it had been mapped and set aside for tourists; the majority of the land was wild and uncharted. Deep in the jungle were the ruins of an ancient civilization of echidnas—gigantic temples that rose higher than the trees and humble houses of stone built into the sides of mountains. The rainforest had grown over many of these buildings, and history had forgotten them. But they still stood there, ghosts of their people's golden age.

In one of these ruins was the antidote that meant life for a poisoned hero.

Sonic raced down old paths, across streams, and through thick jungle growth in search of the antidote. Eggman's vague description of the antidote's location left him with no choice but to look in every ruin he came by, and always he emerged from the building empty-handed. He also had to take every path he found, in case he missed a house or temple; unfortunately, the paths often intertwined, leaving him at a loss and wasting his precious time.

After finding himself at a familiar junction for the third time, the hedgehog fell down on his knees to take a breather. He was going nowhere fast, and his search was fruitless; he had to form a plan instead of looking everywhere mindlessly. But moments after he halted, the terrible migraines and pain spasms came back, and he fell to the forest floor in a heap. Groaning in misery, he tossed and turned on the ground like a kid having a nightmare.

When the pain seemed to subside, he forced himself to stand up and walk down the path he had chosen. He tried to run, but the headaches pounded in his head too much. Because of this, he had to keep the pace at a fast jog. The path twisted on and on, until he recognized the path. This was one of the ways to the rainforest's biggest Echidnean temple.

Maybe that's where the antidote was; after all, Eggman had said, "_the _Echidnean ruins", and that temple was the most prominent ruin in the entire rainforest. It was worth a try.

Quickening his pace as much as he dared, Sonic raced down the dirt path and searched the forest for any sign of the temple. Finally he came to a large stone wall, which must have once surrounded a village or fortress. Inside was the ruined temple in all its faded glory. For a moment the hero just stared at the magnificent ruin, with its echidna statues guarding the entrance and its towering stone spire. The sun, which was at the very top of the spire, shone in his eyes, and he had to look away. But then the glint of metal brought his focus back on the spire…

…And he spotted Metal Sonic standing on the temple's summit.

"Metal…" Sonic muttered to himself in a low tone.

The robot had also spied his enemy, and he leaped off the spire, landing perfectly on the ground before the hero. "I'm surprised you made it this far, hero," he said calmly…a bit too calmly.

Sonic kept his guard up; something fishy was going on, and he had to be careful. "Well, you know me; I'm full of surprises," he replied with his trademark grin. In a second the smile vanished, and he said in a serious tone, "Now where's that antidote?"

Metal chuckled. "Getting desperate, aren't you? I can tell: sweating, shaking, breathing difficulties…"

"Answer me!"

The robotic hedgehog opened one hand. A clear tube of green liquid sat on his palm. "Here it is, in my grasp. If you want it, then you must get it." He closed his hand again and darted out of the clearing, with Sonic in hot pursuit.

* * *

"Hurry, guys! We've gotta find Sonic!" cried Amy as she darted ahead of the others through the jungle brush. 

The foursome had been running hard through the Mystic Ruins for five minutes, and already Cream and Knuckles were starting to fall behind. Amy and Tails, however, seemed to have endless supplies of energy, and they barely noticed their companions' decrease in speed or heard their pleas for a break. Finally Knuckles tripped over a fallen tree branch, and he didn't get up; he was finished running. Cream halted beside him, torn between following the other two or staying behind to help the echidna. She reached a compromise.

"Cheese, go after Tails and Amy!" she commanded her Chao friend. "Tell them I'm staying with Mr. Knuckles." Cheese nodded and flew after the fox and the girl hedgehog.

"Drop the 'Mr.', will ya, Cream?" the Guardian said as he slowly stood up and checked for any injuries. He looked down the path where Tails, Amy, and Cheese had gone; they had vanished from sight. Sighing, he said, "I guess we should take that other path," and pointed at the dirt path that had been hidden from view previously. As he and the rabbit walked, he grumbled, "We're running all over the place, but we don't even know where Sonic is. He could be anywhere in this maze!"

"Maybe we should call his name," Cream suggested timidly.

"Yeah, and run the risk of getting caught by Eggman again? Not a chance!" When he looked at her, he saw tears welling up in her eyes. "Uhh, but it wasn't a bad idea, really…"

While he was trying to stop Cream from crying, Knuckles failed to watch his step. Suddenly he walked right into a shallow stream, and mud oozed into his shoes. Groaning, he tried to pull them up out of the muddy bottom without success. Cream also tried to help, but she only got herself muddy.

As the two were tugging at Knuckles' legs, a huge shadow came up behind him and Cream, stalking slowly closer…and closer…

Cream heard a twig snap and whirled around. She saw the shadow creeping up to the pair, and she shrieked. Knuckles turned around halfway, and his eyes widened in terror. The rabbit began yanking on her companion to set him free from the mud, but it was no use.

Suddenly the shadow tripped and tumbled through the brush in an unstoppable roll. Knuckles managed to free his legs, and he shoved Cream and himself out of the way. Inches from their feet, a giant purple ball crashed past them and landed in the stream with a splash. The ball uncurled itself, and someone moaned, "Ohhh…what happened, Froggy?"

Recognition shone on Cream's face. "Mr. Big!" she cried, and she rushed to help him up.

Knuckles just sat there and glared at the huge cat as he sat up and hugged Cream. They had been scared of this oaf? Suddenly something wet and slimy landed on his head, and he cried out in surprise. _"Augh! Get it off me! Get it off!"_

"Froggy!" exclaimed Big.

A green frog with an orange stripe on its back leaped off Knuckles' head, and with a croak hopped into Big's outstretched paw. It turned, stared at the echidna, and said, "Ribbit."

"Aw, 'ribbit' yourself, you stupid…" growled the Guardian, once again seething because he had been taken by surprise.

Big put a finger to his mouth. "Shh!" he warned, as he fearfully looked around, searching for…something. "Fat guy in machine is here, looking for us."

"Dr. Eggman?" whispered Cream fearfully. "But why is he looking for you?"

"I heard him talking about some hedgehog guy, and he doesn't want me to tell anyone what I heard," replied the cat.

At that moment they heard the sound of Eggman's hovership, and Knuckles and Cream climbed into some trees. Sadly, Big was too heavy, and he had to duck into a cluster of ferns; still his tail stuck out like a sore thumb. The ship and its grumbling pilot came into view. But Eggman didn't search the area for them, as they had expected; instead he kept his eyes on a green radar screen.

"Sonic has found Metal…good! The chase should keep him busy!" he muttered as he passed the hiding places of Knuckles, Cream, and Big. "Metal should be leading him to the drop-off like I told him. I should check." He said other things, but they were inaudible; he was too far away.

Once he felt it was safe, Knuckles dropped out of his tree. "Something is going on, all right…just like I thought."

"What do you mean, Knuckles?" asked Cream as she slid down the trunk of her tree.

"I don't think Eggman is going to play this one fair; if he did, it would be the first time. He and Metal are up to something…and we've gotta find out what."

* * *

Amy and Tails had finally run out of breath, and Cheese's wings had grown tired. While Amy drank from the nearby river and the Chao rested on a boulder, Tails pulled out a small Palm Pilot. Amy noticed it. "Why did you bring a Palm Pilot with you from the workshop, Tails?" 

"It's no ordinary Palm Pilot, Amy," the fox replied. "I gutted its real parts and made it into a sort of digital map of the Mystic Ruins." He scrolled through the map and pointed at the symbol of a house. "We're very close to Big's house, I think. We could ask him if he's seen Sonic."

"Good idea. Let's go!"

"Chao!" Cheese agreed heartily.

Amy darted away down the path, with Cheese flying behind her. But Tails remained still for a second, searching the surrounding forest; he had heard a strange sound. When his ears didn't pick up the sound again, he shrugged and walked after his partner. He found her at Big's little hut, standing on his bed made of wood.

"He's not here," she said disappointedly. "Probably out fishing with Froggy."

Tails sighed. "Well, why don't we try the big temple? Maybe the antidote…and Sonic…are there."

"Sounds good to me!"

The trio started off again, but they had gone no further than ten yards from the house when they heard the unmistakable sound of a hovership.

"Eggman!" exclaimed Tails. "Quick, hide!"

Amy said in bewilderment, "But where?"

Tails swiveled on his heel as he searched for a hiding place. But there seemed to be only one: in a marshy area filled with reeds. "We'll need to duck down there," he said.

"Eww! I don't wanna get my new dress soiled!" Amy whined.

"It's wet from saltwater anyway! Hurry!"

Not waiting for an answer, Tails shoved her into the reeds. Simultaneously they dropped down into the thick mud, holding their breath and watching the path. Eggman came into view, with his vehicle slowly gliding. Was he looking for them? Had he heard them talking?

Then the trio heard the voice of Bokkun on the ship's communications screen. _"They're really goin' at it, Doc! Sonic's right on Metal's heels! He must be _really _desperate for that antidote!"_

"Good. That's how I want it," Eggman said. "He's taken the bait—hook, line, and sinker! Ha ha! Sonic thinks that he'll live once he gets the tube from Metal…but all he'll be drinking from that tube is useless water! Ha ha!" Still snickering, he pulled out a tube of green liquid like the one Metal Sonic had with him.

The hovership rounded a bend, and Eggman disappeared from sight. Once his laughing had faded away, Amy, Tails, and Cheese crawled out of the marsh and wiped the mud off of themselves. Amy made a move to go wash herself off in the river, but Tails went in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going, Tails?" she called to him.

He turned around and said, "We don't have time to bathe, Amy. We need to warn Sonic."

"About what?"

"Weren't you listening? Eggman has the antidote!"

"Metal Sonic does too."

He shook his head. "No, Amy. Metal Sonic's tube contains just water. Eggman has the _real_ antidote. It's a _trick_, and Sonic is falling for it!"


	9. The Final Confrontation

Chapter #9: The Final Confrontation

**10:50 AM**

**Mystic Ruins Jungle**

Everything was going well for Metal Sonic.

He and Sonic were running through the rainforest in a "game" of tag, and the hero was "It". So far he had been unsuccessful in catching Metal, due to three things: the narrowness of the paths Metal chose, the stream that constantly flowed across the paths, and the poison. The latter, much to the robot's delight, contributed the most to Sonic's failure. But the poison had a slight drawback: it was working a bit too well.

Metal needed Sonic to follow him to the drop-off, where he and Master Eggman would finish him off in his weakness. But sometimes the hero would stumble, and it was very hard to get him back up; Metal's only option was to jeer at him from a safe distance and show him the tube of liquid. The method worked, but it took longer each time.

For the fifth time, Sonic tripped on a rock and tumbled into the stream, his mouth filling with mud and water. Coughing and wheezing, he lifted his head and stared at his enemy with rage. Inside he was losing hope of ever getting his hands on that tube, but he dared not show it. However, Metal seemed to read his thoughts.

"What's the matter, hero? Giving up? Is this challenge too tough for the great Sonic the Hedgehog?"

Gritting his teeth, Sonic stood up and began to step forward. But then he swayed and leaned against a tree trunk; the poison was attacking him again, and the pain was almost unbearable. He was starting to hallucinate and see double of everything. He shut his eyes and shook his head; it cleared his vision, but the headaches remained. He darted after Metal, who was already running a few yards ahead of him.

Suddenly the growth of trees stopped, and Sonic nearly rocketed over a wide cliff. Teetering dangerously on the edge, he leaned back and fell tail-first on the ground. Then the hedgehog crawled to the edge and stared down at the rainforest below; the height of his near-fall made him dizzy, and he backed away cautiously. Getting on his feet, he looked around for Metal. He was nowhere in sight; had he gone over the edge?

Of course, the robotic hedgehog hadn't fallen off the cliff; he was standing in the tree line, his metal colored the same as the surrounding foliage—the perfect camouflage. He watched his bewildered enemy search for him, with his own puzzled thoughts.

Where was his master? He was supposed to ambush Sonic now, while he was looking for Metal. The timing was right, so why wasn't he attacking?

The answer, unknown to Metal Sonic, was that Eggman had forgotten a few special factors in the plan—the former hostages.

* * *

"Give us that antidote, Eggman!" 

"You're such a creep, tricking Sonic!"

Tails and Amy had Eggman in a corner of the Echidnean ruins, with an overheated engine (just his luck); Eggman could only keep it a foot above ground, and he couldn't fly off, giving the two a chance to snatch the antidote from his clutches. They kept him on his toes, moving around him out of his range and then striking when they saw an opening. To Eggman, it looked like a random, thoughtless attempt, but he failed to notice Cheese flying above him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to dive…

"Be off, you little pests!" Eggman cried with fury as Amy dove for his right hand, which held the antidote. Just in time he jerked his hand out of her way and held it up out of reach. He expected her to leap for it again—a futile attempt. But she did something else.

"Now, Cheese!" Amy cried.

Something turquoise swooped down and went right past the doctor's head, and when he looked at his hand, the vial of antidote was gone! "What!"

Cheese landed on Tails' shoulder and handed him the antidote, and the trio started running away.

"Why you little brats!" he fumed. He pushed up on the gas throttle on his ship to chase the trio…then suddenly he stopped.

The communicator watch on his wrist was beeping…

He turned it on and scolded the caller. "Metal, I told you to maintain radio silence until we completed the last phase!"

"Forgive me, Master, but I am waiting for you with Sonic at the rendezvous point. Why the delay?"

"Our hostages stole the real antidote! They know about the trick, so they probably know you're at the drop-off." Eggman's temper and slight panic rose with every sentence. "They'll be heading your way! The mission is failed if they reach Sonic with the real vial!"

"What should I do to prevent their reaching him, Master?"

The doctor shouted into the communicator, _"Kill the hedgehog, Metal Sonic! Kill him **now**!"_

That was exactly what Metal had wanted to hear. "With pleasure, Master…"

As he turned the communicator off, Eggman spotted Tails, Amy, and Cheese hurrying off to the cliff with great haste, looks of horror on their faces.

They had heard every word.

* * *

"C'mon, Metal, show yourself! No more games!" Sonic called out to the tree line, knowing his enemy was hidden somewhere in that area. He paced around the edge of the cliff for a while, but then his headaches hurt something awful, and he was forced to sit down on a log. Suddenly something moved in the bushes, and the hedgehog leaped up and darted for the source. But what he found mystified him: a communicator watch lying in a puddle of water. "What the…this must be Metal's." He stepped into the puddle andreached down to pick up the watch… 

Then suddenly a horrible electric shock went up his legs and through his entire body. Sonic cried out in pain and collapsed into the puddle, shocking him even more. Then, just as suddenly as it had happened, the shock stopped. The hero watched in surprise as the "puddle" moved out from under him and began to rise and take shape.

The puddle wasn't water at all…

"You fell for my trap, hero," Metal Sonic mocked his foe. "You've lost your touch."

Sonic clenched his fists and was about to make a comeback when the robot showed him the vial of liquid. "I wonder if you've lost your speed as well," he said. He threw the vial into the air and said, "Catch!"

With a cry of horror, Sonic leaped up and darted for the falling tube. But he tripped on an unseen rock and fell on his face. He looked up just in time to see the vial fall to the ground a few feet in front of him, and it shattered into a million shards with a sickening crack, spilling its liquid contents onto the ground.

Sonic scrambled to the site of the disaster and took some of the glass shards in his hands, staring at them with despair. With his confidence broken into millions of pieces like the vial, he lowered his head in defeat.

His only hope for survival was lost…

Metal Sonic couldn't help but laugh at his rival's helplessness, and that drew Sonic's attention back to him. Despair suddenly turned into rage, and Sonic stood up, his eyes full of fire. The robot was stunned by the sudden change in mood, and he stepped back as the hedgehog advanced toward him, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Sonic darted for Metal, blinded by his fury and unable to think clearly enough. But Metal moved out of the way and tripped him up. The hero's momentum sent him into the air, and he landed on his back onto the hard ground inches from the edge of the cliff. Stunned by his landing, he groaned but didn't move.

Then Metal grabbed Sonic by the throat and pulled him up on his knees. "Master Eggman has given me permission to finish you off while you're weak," he told him. "And I will…in the best way I can think of." He lifted Sonic off his feet and tightened his grip harder than before.

As the robot's grasp allowed less air to reach his lungs, Sonic's vision was filled with shapes and colors; if he didn't get any air soon, he would faint…or worse. The hedgehog squirmed around and desperately tried to pry Metal's hand off his throat, but his enemy only tightened his grasp further. Slowly the hero's windpipe was cut off by Metal's death-grip, and he ceased fighting and began to go limp from the lack of oxygen.

Metal Sonic's merciless orange eyes glowed brightly with villainous pleasure, enjoying the hero's helplessness—like a cat toying with its caught mouse. He brought his prey close to his face and sneered, _"This is the end for you, Sonic the Hedgehog."_

Darkness crept into the hedgehog's vision, and soon everything started fading. The only things he could see now were those orange eyes…

There was noise coming from the tree line—a girl's voice calling his name, then a shout from Metal and a thud as something smashed into his face—but Sonic did not hear it well enough; it too faded. The last thing he remembered was falling to the ground and his head hitting a rock…and then everything went pitch black.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Amy and Tails darted out of the trees into the clearing. They desperately searched for any sign of Sonic or Metal, but there was none. 

"Where are they, Tails?" Amy asked between gasps.

"I…I don't know," replied the fox as he searched their surroundings again.

"Are we too late? Has Metal…" She couldn't finish the rest of her sentence.

Tails bit his lip and looked down at the vial of antidote he held in his hand. "I hope not, Amy."

Suddenly Cheese, who had been studying the ground, cried out in surprise. The other two rushed over to see what he had discovered. They were mystified.

Close by the river on the muddy bank, there were three sets of footprints—one the size of a child, another the size of a near adult, and a third three or four times bigger than the second. Tails quickly figured out who had made the prints.

"Cream, Knuckles, and Big! They've been here!" he exclaimed. "And maybe they found Sonic!"

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's follow their tracks!"

Quick as a flash, the fox, hedgehog, and Chao were running along the tracks, hoping that Sonic—alive and safe—would be with their friends at the trail's end.


	10. Final Revelations

Chapter #10: Final Revelations

**11:00 AM**

**Big's House, Mystic Ruins Jungle**

Big's small, wooden hut was crowded more than usual. Including its normal occupants—Big and Froggy—there were five inside the hut…and one of them was occupying Big's bed, much to the feline's annoyance. But Knuckles had insisted that they put Sonic on his bed, and he had known there was no other choice; even Big and Froggy could see that the blue hedgehog was very sick. After laying Sonic in bed and covering him up with blankets, Knuckles checked his vital signs.

"What's wrong with him?"

The echidna nearly jumped when Big startled him. He turned and replied, "Eggman poisoned him."

"Oh. That guy is always mean."

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Knuckles turned back to Sonic and touched his forehead; it was hot and sweaty with fever—exactly what he had expected.

Cream stood nervously on the other side of the bed, watching the hero moan and shiver. "How is he, Knuckles?" she asked timidly.

He sighed. "The fever is hotter than before, and the symptoms are worse. The poison's got a good grip on him, Cream."

"Will Mr. Sonic get better? Will it go away like a cold?"

Knuckles shook his head sadly at her childish question. "No, he won't get better. The fever and pain will get worse, until…"

"Until what, Knuckles?"

"…Until the poison takes over his body."

Suddenly Cream understood. "You mean he'll…"

The echidna and rabbit locked gazes, and the word they dared not speak passed through their looks. Cream broke the stare first, tears filling her eyes. When she looked at Sonic, she instantly turned away to prevent herself from crying.

Knuckles stood up and walked away from the bed, stopping at a window. Silently he gazed at the rainforest, but out of the corner of one eye he watched the hedgehog fighting the battle for his life…and losing it.

* * *

Only ten minutes later, Tails, Amy, and Cheese made it to Big's house, completely exhausted from all the running they had done that day. Before crossing the river to the hut, they paused to get their second wind. Then they heard a shout, and they looked up to see Cream darting out of the hut with Knuckles following. Cheese hugged his friend's neck, but he was ignored and forced to let go when she latched onto Amy—not in greeting as first supposed, but in fright. 

Amy stepped back a bit, puzzled by her behavior. "Cream, what's wrong?"

The girl replied with her voice cracking, "It's Mr. Sonic, Amy. He's d…d…"

The fox and hedgehog held their breath, waiting for her to tell them they were too late. But she didn't. Instead she turned and asked Knuckles, "What was that word you said, Knuckles?"

"Delirious," the echidna replied. When Amy gave him a puzzled look, he explained, "He's having hallucinations and being restless. He scared Cream. I hate it to say it, guys, but…we're losing him."

Tails' ears drooped a bit, but then, remembering the item in his right hand, brightened and opened his palm. "We won't lose him, because we have this."

Knuckles stared at the vial of antidote. "How'd you get it? When we sent Metal packing, he said the vial was destroyed."

"He was lying. He had a fake vial; this one is real. Eggman had it."

The echidna took the vial and said, "Then let's give it to Sonic while he still has a chance."

Everyone ran into the hut, and they found Sonic tossing and turning in bed with the blanket and pillow lying on the floor. Along with his moans and gasps for breath, he mumbled unclear words, with some sounding like "Eggman" and "Metal". On one side of the bed, Big sat on a large stool, watching the hedgehog for Knuckles to ensure that he wouldn't hurt himself in his delirium.

Amy stopped in the entrance and covered her mouth, and Tails bit his lip; both had never seen their friend like this before, and it was a gruesome sight. But the fox took a breath and walked over to the bedside with Knuckles and Big.

"He's calmed down a bit," Knux said as he felt the hero's forehead. "I wasn't able to touch him before. Hopefully he'll let us give him the antidote. We just need to be gentle, I think."

Knuckles climbed onto the bed and took Sonic's head in his hands. Sonic thrashed around for a little bit, and then gave up moments after. The echidna gestured for Tails to hand him the antidote, which he had opened. When the boy gave him the vial, he pressed on the hedgehog's jaw, forcing him to open his mouth, and carefully poured the antidote into his mouth. Then Knuckles closed his mouth and lifted his head to get him to swallow, hoping that he didn't choke on the liquid and cough it out. Everyone in the room relaxed as Sonic swallowed it and settled into a deep sleep.

Knuckles got off the bed, and Tails put back the pillow and covered Sonic in the blanket again. Amy grabbed a stool and sat firmly by the hedgehog's side, taking one of his hands in hers. She looked at the boys and asked, "Will he be all right now?"

"I think we gave him the antidote just in time," Knuckles replied. "But I'm no doctor; all we can do now is wait…"

* * *

Although Sonic looked peaceful in his sleep, he was being tormented in his dreams. He wandered around aimlessly in an empty, pitch-black tunnel. His head was aching with horrible pain, and his body felt like it was on fire. The sneering voice of Eggman echoed down the tunnel, bringing pain to the hero's ears as well. It wasn't so much the loudness of the voice as the words it spoke that made him cringe. 

"You have failed, hedgehog! _I_ win! You weren't fast enough to save yourself! Ha! And they call you the fastest thing alive!" boasted the echoes of Eggman. Sonic held his hands over his ears as the doctor burst into fits of maniacal laughter.

Sonic didn't know about the real vial that his pals had stolen from his nemesis, so he believed Eggman's words. He shouted at the voice and told it to leave him alone, screaming until his voice was hoarse. His energy spent, he crumpled to the ground and curled up into a tiny, shivering ball, waiting for the end.

But Eggman's voice had to add one more discouraging remark. "It's all over, Sonic! Even your friends can't save you now."

Sonic opened his eyes, realizing something important. _My friends…_ he thought. Images of them flashed through his mind: Cream hugging him in the trash compactor, Tails cheering as he broke through the warehouse wall, Knuckles' grin after they had saved the runaway train, and Amy's relieved face when he had discovered her in the beach cave.

He had gone to save his pals from certain death in their traps, not caring about himself and his own problem. And even when he had had the chance to turn back and save himself…he hadn't.

A new courage found in him, Sonic slowly stood up and called out to the haunting voice, "No, Eggman, I didn't fail. I rescued my friends; that was my mission."

"But you didn't save yourself!" the doctor shot back.

"So what? At least they're safe."

A moment of silence, and then, "You are a real fool."

"Wrong again, Doc. I'm a hero, and putting others' lives before theirs is what heroes do! And none of 'em ever regret sacrificing themselves for a good cause—and that includes me!"

This revelation silenced the voice for good, and Sonic breathed a sigh of relief. But another voice quickly replaced the old one.

"Sonic…Sonic, wake up…please…"

The voice was feminine… "Amy?" Sonic called out, searching for the source of the voice.

Then he heard another female voice. "Please don't leave us, Mister Sonic." He recognized Cream in an instant; he even heard Cheese whimper a "Chao" in agreement.

Then the voice of Tails echoed off the walls. "Knuckles, he's been out cold for seven hours. Shouldn't he be waking up now?"

Sonic scratched his head. What was his buddy talking about? The poison was killing him…or was there something about the toxin he didn't know?

"Well, his fever's broken, so he's getting better. It might take longer than I thought. I've already said it a thousand times: I'm no doctor, so how should I know exactly?"

Sonic barely heard the last of Knuckles' reply; for some reason, he was feeling very drowsy. He softly fell to the ground—which strangely felt like a mattress—and closed his eyes for a few seconds…

* * *

Slowly Sonic's eyes fluttered open, and he blinked hard several times to focus on his surroundings. 

He was lying in a bed inside some kind of hut. All of his friends were there—Amy and Cream were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in a moth-eaten, violet armchair, asleep with Cheese lying in their laps, and Tails and Knuckles were looking out a window. He also spotted Big snoozing in a corner, with Froggy perched on his shoulder.

Upon seeing the hedgehog with his eyes open, the frog croaked and hopped up and down, wanting to rouse his feline companion. "Huh? What? What is it, Froggy?" mumbled Big as he woke up. Then he spotted Sonic. "Hey! The blue guy's up!"

Tails and Knuckles whirled around. "Sonic!" the fox said. "You're awake!"

The hero grinned at his sidekick as he attempted to sit up, which brought him a slight headache. "Ohhh…what happened?" he groaned, holding his forehead with one hand. "I thought I was a goner when Metal had me by the throat…"

"Knuckles, Cream, and Big rescued you," Tails explained. "And we gave you the antidote."

"Huh? But Metal smashed it…"

"He smashed a fake one; it had just water in it. Eggman had the real vial."

Sonic frowned and pounded his fist on the bed. "I shoulda known Egghead would do that!"

His raised voice woke the girls and Cheese, and the sight of Sonic—awake and very much alive—made Amy gasp. "Sonic!" she cried with joy as she rushed to his side. In an instant she had him in one of her trademark hugs, nearly crushing him as usual. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"Amy…let go…you're choking me…" he managed to say. She let go, and the hero added with a joking smile, "Metal choked me enough already. My neck is still sore from that tangle with him. Speaking of which…" he looked at Knuckles, Cream, and Big, "Thanks for getting me outta that scrape. If you guys hadn't…"

"Don't mention it," Knuckles said. "Call it payback…you know, for saving our hides. I hope this makes us even; I don't like owing favors."

Sonic chuckled. "It sure does, Knux. It sure does."

Suddenly Froggy, who had hopped onto the windowsill, started croaking in a frantic tone, and Big stood up to see what was the matter. He turned back with a worried expression. "Fat guy and robot are outside," he whispered to them as if the visitors could hear him.

Before anyone could stop him, Sonic kicked his blanket off and stood upright. He wobbled a bit but remained standing, and he grinned at his accomplishment. Then, with his friends behind him, he stepped out onto the porch of the hut. As soon as he spotted Eggman and Metal Sonic hidden in some brush, he called out, "I know you're there, Egghead; come out!"

Their cover blown, the pair trudged out of their hiding place. The doctor was muttering something under his breath, and Metal was silent, his glare at Sonic speaking his thoughts for him. For a while they just stood there, the archenemies staring at the blue hedgehog, and then Eggman sneered, "I'm surprised you're still standing, Sonic. You seemed far too gone to be saved when I saw you being carried inside."

Sonic's face split into his cocky trademark grin. "You know what I say, Egghead: I die hard. I was lucky this time; I had my friends to help me fight back. I guess it's a good thing I went after them first instead of looking for it by myself!"

"Don't feed us that silly sermon about heroes and their duties!" Eggman spat. "You're right about being lucky this round! But your luck will run out one day! And when it does…"

"We will be there to defeat you," Metal finished for his master.

Eggman turned his hovership, calling over his shoulder, "I'm not finished with you or your friends! I'll be back with a better plan, and I _will_ win! Farewell for now, Sonic the Hedgehog!" With that last promise of return, the evil genius and Metal Sonic rocketed into the sky above the rainforest and eventually vanished from sight.

Sonic stared after them until he could see them no more, and then he turned to his friends. "I don't think he'll be bothering us any time soon. Like he said, he's probably gonna sit down in his lab and cook up some new plot to bump me off. It could take him weeks."

"You're thinking of taking a vacation, aren't you?" Amy asked.

"Sure, why not? A week or two on a private beach sounds good to me. What about you guys? Wanna come?"

Tails, Amy, Cream, and Big readily jumped to the invitation.

"Sure, Sonic!"

"I could use a tan!"

"Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Sonic!"

"Froggy and I can come! I've been wanting to catch some ocean fish!"

"Sorry, I'm too busy," said Knuckles. Everyone turned and stared at him; soon the girls were giving him puppy-dog eyes, and Sonic simply stared him down with a persuasive grin. Finally he gave in. "All right, _all right!_ I'll go with you guys! But only if I bring the Master Emerald! I will _not _let it out of my sight!"

"Whatsa matter, Knux? Afraid Rouge will steal it…again?" Sonic teased. The echidna turned beet red in both anger and embarrassment, and everyone started laughing. Eventually the gang headed out from Big's hut and marched through the rainforest, eager for some R&R.

* * *

An hour or so later, the six Mobians were relaxing on the secret beach that Sonic had been sunbathing in earlier. Big sat on a rock with Froggy at his side, fishing in a small pool. Amy and Cream were building an elaborate sand castle close by the water. Tails was swimming in the water, using his tails like a motor; Cheese hung tightly onto his back, squealing with delight. Sonic and Knuckles lay in poolside chairs, with the hedgehog wearing a pair of sporty sunglasses. 

"Hey Sonic, can I ask you something?" the echidna asked.

"Sure, Knuckles," the hedgehog said without looking at him.

"How in the world can you be so relaxed?"

Sonic sat up and moved his glasses from his eyes onto his forehead. "What do ya mean?"

"You almost died! Shouldn't you be a bit shaken from that close encounter?"

"…Well, I am a little. That _was_ a pretty close race…but I've had other ones like it, like the time on Colony ARK when Eggman trapped me in that capsule with a bomb in it. I guess I'm used to it."

Knux sighed. "I don't know why you keep going when it can be so dangerous."

Sonic was silent for a moment, and then he answered, "The same reason why you guard the Master Emerald 24/7: even if you don't want to and even if there are risks, you've gotta do it—it's your duty."

The Guardian looked at him with understanding. "I see your point."

"But I think I've come out of this twisted race a bit wiser, Knuckles."

"How's that?"

"I have a better sense of what I'm really doing: putting my life on the line to save others instead of myself."

"I hope that means you won't be so cocky when you're fighting."

The heroic hedgehog chuckled. "Not a chance, pal! Not a chance!"

_**The End**_

* * *

And that's a wrap, folks! Thanks for reading my story, and I hope you all enjoyed it! And I guarantee that there's more where this came from! Until the next fanfic, farewell! (gets on Hoverbike and drives off into the sunset) 


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